Spring
by Hasenpfeffer
Summary: Spring is coming. OkiSai.
1. Chapter 1

Spring is coming.

It is said to be a representation of rebirth; new life. Something that brings joy and peace. Through it, color bursts forth into the world that was previously shrouded in a cruel, white wasteland. Animals come out of hiding to play, the trees awaken from their winter slumber and become beautifully lush, festivals and celebrations ring through the air creating excitement and liveliness, the sakura bud and bloom, painting the ground and sky with a scatter of soft pink snow.

Spring is coming. The break in the storm meant to promise clear skies and joyful hearts. Truly, it is a beautiful season that brings life and hope.

And yet... I feel so cold. Empty, like a weathered tree that did not survive the storm but is somehow still standing upon its roots, though they have been torn from the ground. There is no laughter, no joy, no life to be had, but somehow I still stand. Perhaps it is a punishment. A punishment for being so impure. For what purpose is there for a man- a samurai- who can no longer live by the sword, has no-one to fight beside, no-one to protect, and no-one to come home to? A man who has already lived, loved, and lost everything? A man -nay, a sword- who has fought its battles and failed in the end? Failed so miserably, that not even death wants to take it in its grasp?

I have no choice but to accept that this is the price to pay for my transgressions. What else do I have left to believe in? Swords are meant to take life. My life was taken without me. Everything I had, everything I loved… every_one_.

_Where did I go wrong?_

Spring is coming. I wish you were here to see it. I wish you were standing by my side, with that smirk on your face and the corners of your vibrant emerald eyes crinkled just slightly in contented joy. I wish your warm hand was holding mine, staving off any chilled air and providing a steady source of comforting companionship. I wish that I could hear your laugh, or see your face again. I wish… I wish that you were still here. It's silly, it's impossible, but the longing still remains. The space beside me feels too empty. It's selfish, this desire. It's better to be dead than in constant pain and unable to fulfill your purpose. I should feel glad that you're gone. …In the very least, I hope you are facing a better fate than I.

Spring is coming.

A spring without _you_ is coming.

.

.

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A cold wind blows.

_**A/N- It's been five years, but I'm back with heartbreak, folks.**_


	2. Chapter 2

Spring is coming.

There's always been something about it. A certain peace at seeing the beauty and life come alive. But always lingering, somewhere deep inside me, lay a quiet simmering melancholy. Like something was painfully achingly _missing_ but I could never quite place it. No matter what I did, I could never quite make the feeling go away.

Then, on a chance day at school over a rooftop lunch, I met you. All of a sudden, the little missing pieces; the hole in my chest that I hadn't known existed, started to fill in. You reminded me of something. I didn't know what it was then, but I think I do now. Your eyes, so full of life, sparkling with mischief. A teasing voice followed by a huff of laughter. A somehow achingly familiar smile. Too many little things started filtering into my mind, seeming like memories I had somehow forgotten. Things that felt so precious I could never hope or wish to lose them. It wasn't right away, but I started to realize what _it, _this familiarity, this comfort was.

It was the face of somebody. Some_one_. A past life and love. A life cut tragically short. But now here you are… standing here with me. Healthy. _Happy_. With an energy and an easy joy I had believed I would never see again.

It's the moment I've been waiting for all my life.

_I remember._

You, Okita Souji. Now standing next to me on the damp grass peeking through thin white powder. Above us, trees gently shake water from their branches and clouds roll through the sky as new life begins to blossom anew. Blossom anew indeed, for here you are, _breathing_ and _alive_ through a miracle of no sickness and no pain. Only joy and love and a hope for the future remaining beyond the sorrows of the past, tied together with a bond of fate between us that holds so strong not even death can tear it apart.

And now here we stand, together, watching green leaves and pale buds slowly poke through melting snow. The flowers will bloom soon. The harsh cold air of winter will be chased away by warm winds and beautiful colors. They seem to be brighter this year.

I release a breath. My eyes meet yours; endless emerald depths that are far too easy to get lost in. You smile. I take your hand. _You are here._

The heavy weight in my heart seems to lift a little lighter each day.

.

.

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Spring is coming. But this time I don't have to face it alone.


End file.
